Two friends meet outside Karlsruhe, in Schwarzwald. One is an explorer of galaxies far away, the other a composer of fragments. Together they create a joie de vivre, arranging and deconstructing their creations, their own formations. Beneath their feet, a stone world rests against the living world, touching rivers, mountains, forest floors and the first foot trails between Schwarzwald, Vosges Mountains and Naturpark Pfälzerwald. This stone world is made of smooth subterranean rock that swirls and folds. Altered from its original igneous by pressures a hundred thousand years strong. What was once sharp is now smooth. Lines become curves, reversals. If you were to try read its origin, its strata, you would not tell which direction the past flowed or the future began.

Amelie Lens has risen rapidly through the European techno ranks over the past couple of years. She’s now consistently high up the bill (if not topping it) at events like Awakenings, DGTL and Ibiza staples DC-10 and Hï, and this year debuts in the Top 100 DJs poll. The Belgian’s Lenske label has simultaneously gone from strength to strength, building its name around the five-person crew of AIROD, Farrago, Milo Spkyers, Ahl Iver and Lens herself. Granite-tough techno is the name of the game; epic vibes suited to the cavernous hangars Lens fills on a regular basis. And with its newest addition — Lens’ ‘Higher’ EP — the label has now dropped 13 releases in just two years. ~ DJMag

Considering his meteoric rise to fame, it would be easy to stereotype Black Coffee as just another black diamond, a BEE beat magnet out to mine the insatiable upwardly mobile urban house-party market. But as he proved on his South African Music Award-winning album Home Brewed, this DJ and producer defies convention. Sidestepping Afro-house clichés and stage-managed highs in favour of restrained sophistication, Black Coffee’s penchant is for true Afropolitan house: home-brewed but trendsetting, fashion-conscious and future-focused. Expect almost sculptural balance and beauty.

Call Super is the primary moniker of Joseph Richmond Seaton, a DJ and musician from London who has carved out his own place in the landscape of electronic music. Call Super is the primary moniker of Joseph Richmond Seaton, a DJ and musician from London who has carved out his own place in the landscape of electronic music. Defined by a meticulous approach to the composition, production, art direction and presentation of his work, every release encapsulates Joseph’s idiosyncratic vision. It is a colourful world that gives life to the shadows and throws a mist over the boundaries that have become so commonplace in electronic music. His record The Present Tense provided the launching point for Houndstooth (the label arm of London’s fabric nightclub). The following two releases, Black Octagons and Depicta/Acephale, cemented his status as one of the brightest new talents to emerge in the current wave of producers disturbing the musical landscape. Next up came Suzi Ecto, his debut album, which...

From Utrecht, Carista is the DJ everyone wants to open for them. Self-taught, she bought her first pair of turntables at 19 and turned to YouTube tutorials. After winning a mixtape competition hosted by Rotterdam club BIRD in 2012, she landed a gig and subsequent residency at BIRD and other local clubs. Word started to travel about the charismatic selector, curator, and DJ. She went on to land herself a monthly radio show at Red Light Radio and NTS which got her noticed by a slew of festival programmers. She’s since made her debuts on Boiler Room and at festivals like Secretsundaze, Dekmantel, and ADE, where she opened for De School’s 62-hour party. Her sets are never predictable but always highly danceable. Through her NTS show United Identities, she hopes to continue to promote diversity and inclusivity in the club scene.

DJ, radio host, curator, label head and party promoter - CC:DISCO! is hopelessly lost in music and there’s no turning back. Playing disco, house and boogie cuts with her heart at the controls, CC triggers a joyous feedback loop that infects the dancefloor. There’s no pretension, only pure feeling. A Melbourne club scene mainstay, CC began connecting with audiences just like the heroes before her - through FM radio. Having presented shows since the age of 15, her weekly PBS FM slot of six years ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ became a local institution - the quintessential Friday night party starter - priming her for her bi-weekly residency on Rinse FM, as well as knock out guest spots for NTS, Red Light Radio and Dublab. Now stationed in Lisbon, CC continues to rise as one of her fertile hometown’s most active exports. With three extensive UK/EU tours in 2018, she’s commanded the hallowed dancehalls of Sub Club, ://about blank, Kompass and DJOON. Well versed in mobilizing people on mass...

DJ Holographic is a one-woman funk machine born and raised on Detroit Music. Her mission is to serve a mix of musical cuisine that contains consuming house beats, passionate R&B with Hip Hop, unreserved disco, true Detroit Techno, and Motown. Join her as she concocts her next rhythmic dish. Surrounded by members of the Detroit DJ community such as Underground Resistance, Detroit Techno Militia, Rocksteady Disco, DJ Minx, KDJ Records, and DJ Minx, she was inspired and her curiosity got the better of her. She has appeared in the underground scene around Detroit at places such as Grenadier Club, Tangent Gallery, Grasshopper Underground, The Whiskey Parlor, Marble Bar, TV Lounge, The Works, Temple Bar, and more. She has played at festivals such as Movement, Charivari, San Francisco Pride, Red Bull Music Academy in New York, and opened for Black Madonna’s We Still Believe Tour in LA..

Although only 28, DJ Marky is already a veritable superstar DJ in his homeland Brasil. Based in Sao Paulo, the clubbing and dance music capital of Brasil, Marky is well established as one of Brazil’s biggest DJs and producer talents. DJ Marky began making a name for himself in the early 90’s pioneering the sounds of UK Drum & Bass/Jungle, appealing to lovers of dance music of all styles for his sheer artistry on a pair of Technics 1210’s. In 94/95 Jungle became popular in Brasil and DJ Marky emerged as one of Brasil’s leading DJs of this new exciting scene. He stopped working at record shop, Up Dance Records, moving on to a high profile residency at the then legendary Toca club. Marky had radio shows on various stations both mainstream and underground, and his success at that time culminated in the mid-90’s with a massive drum & bass/jungle compilation released on UK’s Suburban Base Records. Marky was awarded DJ of the year in Brasil in 95 and 96 and was runner up in 98.

Honey Dijon had carved a distinct niche for herself in the world of underground electronic music, coming to be associated with exquisitely curated cross-genre sets and total dance-floor chaos wherever she plays - from Berghain to Space or Smart Bar. As a producer, her reputation for bringing this knowledge to her forward thinking creations is growing all the time. ~ Soundcloud

MARICAS / MistressISAbella

Simbiatu “Simbi” Abisola Abiola Ajikawo says it herself when she puts on her superheroine mask and goes by the name of Little Simz: “I’m Jay-Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days”. And on that pernicious Venom that pollutes GREY Area from the very core, she concludes that some people will never acknowledge her as the best just because she’s got ovaries. Those who have recognised her worth get a mention: Jay-Z, Mr Lamar and the woman who knows all about being a woman, black and furious, Lauryn Hill. And let’s not forget the Mercury Prize judges who nominated her for her third LP. Not bad, huh?

Max Cooper has carved a unique position for himself as an artist mixing emotional dance floor experimentation with fine art sound design & stunning visuals. Join Max's list for updates and limited release DJ mixes & music - www.maxcooper.net/#joinMax Cooper

Born Pedro Maia, Mochakk is a 22-year-old sensation whose thrilling persona behind the decks matches his prolific production. Growing up in the midst of skating and hip-hop culture, he found his musical start as a beatmaker before eventually pivoting to electronic music. After discovering house music in particular, he became a dedicated student of the genre and used that to his advantage as he progressively made waves in his home country of Brazil, both as a meticulous producer and mesmerizing performer. In recent months, his presence has gone global as he’s embarked upon an expansive North American tour with multiple sold out dates in tow, dominated a laundry list of festivals internationally, done B2B sets with the likes of Vintage Culture, and is now headed toward a slot at the church, Circoloco this summer. With standout releases like “False Need” via Black Book alongside an exponentially growing fanbase with over 1 million followers, not to mention a smash forthcoming remix for The Martinez Brothers.

Peggy Gou is a South Korean-born DJ and producer based in Berlin. During the 2010s, she became internationally renowned for energetic DJ sets, which dreamily flow through various styles of techno, house, and electro. Her own tracks, such as the acclaimed 2018 single "It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)," are vibrant, joyous productions that echo vintage deep house and post-disco without sounding like a throwback. ~

Richie Hawtin played an essential role in developing the sound of minimal techno, as well as spreading its popularity throughout the global club scene. Most famous for his experimental acid techno productions as Plastikman, including the classic albums Musik (1994) and Consumed (1998), he is equally well-regarded for his groundbreaking live sets and mix CDs (especially 1999's Decks, EFX & 909) which utilize cutting-edge DJ technology, fusing loops of techno records with additional synthesizers and drum machines. Initially based in Windsor, Ontario and connected with the techno scene in nearby Detroit, he co-founded the highly influential Plus 8 (and its harder sublabel Probe Records) along with John Acquaviva, later establishing Minus and relocating to Berlin during the early 2000s, just as minimal techno began receiving mainstream exposure. Hawtin has continued pushing the limits of technology, developing highly conceptual events which are often intertwined with the art world. ~ AllMusic

Roza Terenzi DJ/Producer Melb, Aus.Roza Terenzi

Currently based in Berlin, Soda Plains is originally from Hong Kong via West Midland, UK, but few other details have been revealed.

For Solomun, music isn’t just a tool to make people dance. Music is as diverse as life itself: many different shades, moments, and memories to be made.Solomun

Marea Stamper, professionally known as the Blessed Madonna, is one of the most celebrated DJs of her time, thanks to her eclectic, joyous sets, which can encompass anything from classic electro and new wave to the latest techno and house white labels. Her production work, including the widely praised 2016 single "He Is the Voice I Hear," walks the line between disco and techno, with the emotional weight of the former and the driving momentum of the latter. One of dance music's foremost activists, she is renowned for her commitment to humanitarian work and her outspoken views on LGBTQ rights and gender inclusivity. ~ AllMusic

How does one begin to write about Tiga? Where to even start on a long road marked with notable checkpoints? What can be told that can’t be tallied in raw statis...tics (which he’s a total stickler for), or an unfurled parchment scroll of places gone and plaudits won? The duality of a life split between aspirational popstar and touring deejay falls short: by this point in time he’s lived dozens of lives, let alone a mere two. Frankly the only claim that doesn’t wash is that of being in a legacy mode – because that, to him, denotes the cardinal sin of coasting. And that just won’t do. The core engine pushing Tiga forward is ambition. It’s there, everywhere: at the dials in any given club in any given city in any given country on any given weekend; burning the midnight oil in the Research & Development wing of his career control centre, crisp shirt sleeves rolled, assessing and strategising over his next move; with his feet up on the gleaming glass desk in the penthouse office of Turbo Towers, gold plaques of decade-dominating dancefloor delights flanking him – it’s there. Self-aware, well-moderated, yet totally unrepentant ambition. Plus a bit of wit, too. To be insulated from any real backlash over a quarter-century in the game and across many different hats worn, a touch of humility and humour certainly helps it all go down easy. His goal is to dunk on people with success, but do so in a friendly way, soaring overhead with the sly wink of chutzpah (but never the nudge-nudge of solipsistic irony for irony’s sakes). To maintain pole position while swerving between all these lanes with impunity, he taps into a well-spring of regenerating desire. From the getgo Tiga has sought to not merely play a part in the culture he abandoned all life commitments for age 17, but frequently scale its heights too: Attending Berlin’s Love Parade circa ’92-95, then hearing DJ Hell drop “Sunglasses At Night” to the masses not too many years later. Giving a speech at his Montreal alma mater, then converting some of the impressionable graduates in the audience to come work at Turbo. Starting an independent label on a whim, then reaching 200 releases in a stormy industry with a higher turnover rate than Real Madrid managers. Getting hooked first on the fearless compulsion of Bowie, Reznor and Almond, then the frigid cool of Mills, Hawtin and D. James, then threading the needle consummately between these two worlds. These highwatermarks form the backbone of his pride, and in turn, fuel the self-perpetuating motion machine inside. There’s always extra room in the cockpit, mind. An army of collaborators, remixers and remixees have provided vital thrust over the years. From Alter Ego and Azari & III through Duke Dumont and Depeche Mode; from Matthew Dear and Moby, through Zombie Nation and Zdar, Phillipe; Paranoid London, Pusha T, Pet Shop Boys and Peaches.…on and on it goes. Read between the lines and you’ll get a measure of the man. Teamwork affords stimulus, shuts down ego, and juices something he can’t get to alone. At heart, it brings out the best in Tiga. So it’ll prove in 2018, where the fingers of his well-combed Rolodex currently rest on entries marked Kolsch, The Martinez Brothers, and Hudson Mohawke. The fruits of this friendly jousting with find their way out of track ID requests and into the shops before long (perhaps even by the moment you read this – hope you’re enjoying the future and remembered to short your cryptocurrency in time). It would be a lot easier to rest on his laurels by this point, really. To trade on former glories, reflect fondly on a career spent dovetailing in and out of the spotlight with likeminded friends, turning in a jaded, half-assed representation of himself at festivals and recording sessions when the taxman comes knocking. But Tiga is still too confident, self-respecting, and – how did you guess? – ambi-tious for that. The challenge he seeks is to keep experiencing the frisson of creative alchemy, to lock into a groove where he is truly in the zone, to dig deep and reproduce a fresh take on that first-love feeling of music: something that connects with young ravers and inspires the same spark he felt all those years ago. That’s the spur, the lifeblood, the DNA. And that’s why Tiga remains an ever-present light in our little corner of the universe. See more

̸BIOGRAPHY Wata Igarashi has developed a clear sound of his own. He brings together the euphoric and psychedelic, with his music standing out for its crystalline structures and shimmering intensity. Igarashi’s distinctive take on techno is on display across a series of EPs on Midgar and The Bunker NY, as well as on Semantica, Time to Express, and Bitta. Recent standout remixes of Aurora Halal, Volte-Face and Prins Thomas have further demonstrated his considerable talents as a producer. The same mentality is present in his performances, whether DJing or playing live, with his measured control of frequencies and intensities shaping the dancefloor as he explores the more psychedelic dimensions of techno. In this way, Igarashi’s considered approach is one that stimulates the body and mind, generating energy and emotion. Wata Igarashiは独自のサウンドを確立したアーティストだ。緻密なサウンドデザインや構成力を持ち、陶酔感とサイケデリックさを融合させたIgarashi特有のテクノは、MidgarやThe Bunker NYの一連のEPやSemantica、Time to Express、 Bittaのリリースで聴く事ができる。また彼のプロデューサーとしての才能は、近年のAurora Halal、Volte-Face、 Prins Thomasの傑出したリミックス・ワークでも顕著に表れている。彼はDJやライブといったパフォーマンスにおいても、制作と同じ精神性を持っていて、緻密な音響とエネルギーのコントロールでテクノのさらなるサイケデリックな次元を探求し、ダンスフロアを陶酔へと導く。Igarashiのアプローチは身体と心の両方を刺激し、強いエネルギーと感情を生み出す。 ̸ SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY 2016 Stealth 2/3: Night [Time to Express] NNN08: Death Orange [Semantica] Ciphers EP [Midgar] Haziest Just Before The Dawn [Bitta] Semantica10. IV [Semantica] 2015 Pulse Width (Wata Igarashi Remix) - Ruhig [Midgar] 2014 Junctions EP [Midgar] Acid Bubblebath (Wata Igarashi Remix) - SERi [Acidworx] 2013 Mariana Wax 000 [Mariana Wax] Paranoid EP [Counter Pulse] Rotating Field EP [Sienna Obscure] 2012 Carp (Wata Igarashi Remix)/ Jin Hiyama [Gynoid Audio] 2011 Middle Eye Black EP [Statra Recordings] As It Is EP [Gynoid Audio]